


Trot, gallop and some love

by strangerthingswasntthatgood



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Horse AU, Horses, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23450023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangerthingswasntthatgood/pseuds/strangerthingswasntthatgood
Summary: Geralt trains horses for a living. Everything is fairly peaceful until Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon comes around. Then, his life turns aroud. Suddenly, his life isn't all horses and Yennefer, but also a troublesome girl that reminds him too much of himself.Or alternatively, in which Geralt is a horse girl and never stops talking about horses.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Something important to note: I used to be a horse girl, but it's been years and I never knew that much, anyway. I've googled most of the terms since I only know them in my mother tongue. Thanks for understanding!

Few things were as peaceful as the stables a Sunday morning. Geralt had the stables and the horses to himself. He could work in his own pace and there was no one there to disturb him. Geralt had always preferred the company of horses to people. Horses, he could understand. People were more difficult.

Geralt had a set routine. He feed the horses and mucked the stalls out as they ate. That way, they didn’t nibble his pockets and they were too busy with the food to care about an open stall door.

He always fed his mare the first and mucked out her stall the last. That way, she would usually finish her food until Geralt was finished with his morning work. His mare waited for him, when he had finished mucking out. She always did. As he opened the stall door, she took a step back to let him come inside. The second he entered, her muzzle rubbed against his pockets in search of treats.

“I don’t have anything for you”, Geralt gently grabbed her chin and pushed her face from his pockets. The horse blew air from her nostrils, them bumped her forehead against Geralt’s shoulder. An endearing smile appeared on his lips.

He stayed with her, until she finished her food. It didn’t take long and it allowed him to soak her in. She was just the most beautiful horse, with her chestnut coat and the stripe of white on her forehead.

Vesemir despised it, but Geralt always left a bucket with Roach’s brushes just outside her stall. He stayed throughout most of the summer, to help Vesemir with the horses. Vesemir allowed him to keep Roach in the stables and paid the fodder and any veterinary costs during the summer, provided Geralt trained and cared for the horses. The rest of the year, he trained horses on his own horse farm.

His stables were nowhere near as fancy as Vesemir’s and he did all of the work himself, but he got by. It paid enough to let him live the life he wanted: a life around horses.

Geralt grabbed a brush from the bucket and brushed Roach’s coat. He brushed dirt and sweat from her. He brushed her clean, brushed the knots from her mane and the dirt from her hooves.

It gave him time to pamper her and to make sure she was okay. It wasn’t usual that she got hurt, but he wanted to be sure.

When she was clean, he left to get her bridle. The weather was perfect for a morning ride. There was a nice path by the beach, where they could stop and let Roach have a drink and maybe even a swim.

He sat up on Roach once they were outside. He could feel her coat against his legs through the fabric of his breechers. Even though it was still early, the sun warmed his skin. It smelled of summer mornings and flowers and horses. It was the perfect morning.

“You ready, girl?” Geralt asked, as he gave Roach a pet. He pressed her legs to her middle and she immediately took a step forward. Her steps were slow, but confident. He allowed her to walk freely down the path from the stables to the road.

She was a nice horse. She was perfect to him. She listened and was quick to learn, but there was still a little mischief in her. She loved to run, ate too much and never wanted to go inside again once she had gone outside, but those things only made him love her more.

Geralt allowed Roach to walk freely when they reached the woods. They had walked the path countless times since Roach was old enough to be ridden and she knew the path as well as Geralt did.

When they were deeper in the forest, Roach began to trot. Geralt relaxed and moved with her. They moved as one. 

When they reached the beach, Geralt let her roam. He stayed on her, petting her and humming softly.

They stayed for a while. Geralt only took the reins when he was sure Roach was happy with the stay. She trotted the path with more energy than before and Geralt allowed her to gallop the last piece of land before they reached the stables again.

Something was different when they came back. Geralt could sense it already before he reached the stables. The door was open and the light in the tack room was on. He sighed at the sight and slowed Roach down until she walked.

“Here we go again…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for the Witcher 3 may be present in this or following chapters.

Inside, it seemed as if every lamp was turned on. Every horse seemed awake, too, and he could hear some of them chew hay. It was a pleasant sound, when mixed with the sounds the horses made.

Yennefer, his beautiful, beautiful girlfriend, stood by a black gelding. Scorpion, they had come to call him. Eskel had found him, enough questions asked. Eskel was probably the one who spent the least time in the stables, but only because he had his goats.

“Geralt”, Yennefer turned around to have a look at him. “And darling Roach, of course.”

Like always, Yennefer wore all black. Her coat was black and her breeches were a cream white color and even though there was only training on today’s schedule, she was dressed as if she was on her way to the National Dressage Championship. Her hair was neatly braided in two braids, one on each side of her head, and her makeup was minimal, but flawless.

“Yennefer”, Geralt greeted and passed her, with a smile tugging at his lips. “What do you want?”

Geralt could almost feel Yennefer roll her eyes, as Geralt lead Roach inside her stall. He took her bridle off first and easily swapped it for her halter, which hung by her nameplate. She let him put it on without trouble, before she turned to drink some water.

When he pulled back from her, Yennefer had positioned herself by the open stall door with both hands on her hips. She clearly wished to speak to him. He reached a hand towards her.

“Give me a brush.”

Yennefer sighed, but did as she was told. Once he had the brush, he groomed the mare, just like earlier this morning. He intended to finish his morning with Roach before anything else got in the way.

Yennefer impatiently waited for Geralt to finish. The groom didn’t take long, but he could tell she thought it took  _ too  _ long. She slapped a crop against her calf, moved from one foot to the other and back again.

“We have a guest.” Geralt was just finishing up when Yennefer first spoke.

Geralt glanced towards her. Their eyes met for a second and Geralt couldn’t help but smile. She had always been impatient and it was one of the things Geralt adored about her. She rarely asked for permission and even more rare, listened to his opinion when she did ask.

“Behave, Geralt.” Yennefer took a step inside the stall and gently took the brush from him. With the other hand, she took his and lead her out the stall. He followed her, with the smile growing into a foolish grin.

This close to her, with her walking backwards and him mere inches from her face, he could see her mascara had smeared a little.

Most people rode in heels, but few people rode in heels as high as Yennefer’s. Like this, she was tall enough to reach his chin. She still acted all high and mighty, of course. She always did and likely always would.

“Ciri!” Yennefer let go off Geralt’s hand and turned around. He reached for her, but she was already two steps ahead.

From the tack room, a girl snuck her head out. Her hair, which was almost white, was pulled up in a bun and she wore a white shirt, with dark brown breeches. She didn’t wear any makeup and she was as tall as Yennefer, but her boots didn’t have a heel.

Ciri walked to stand right next to Yennefer, with a bright smile on her lips.

“This is Cirilla”, Yennefer said. Geralt reached out to shake her hand, but Yennefer pushed it right back again. “You’re dirty, darling.”

Geralt rolled his eyes fondly.

“I’ll saddle a horse. We thought you could have a look at her ride.”

Cirilla nodded and Geralt glanced between the two of them. He couldn’t figure it out, but there was clearly something going on between them. They had something planned and he wasn’t part of it yet.

“Okay”, Geralt had a look around the stables, considered for a second. .”We could take Diamond, if it’s dressage.”

Yennefer didn’t say anything, but only took a step back and walked to Diamond’s stall.

“So…” Geralt glanced around. Yennefer had entered Diamond’s stall and groomed him, with long strokes of her hand.

Cirilla had a quick look at Yennefer, before she snuck out her hand. Geralt shook it, but was careful not to let Yennefer see it.

“I’m Cirilla, but you can call me Ciri. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Geralt nodded his head in a greeting.

“And I’m Geralt. Afraid I haven’t heard an awful lot about you.”

Cirilla laughed. It was a loud and ugly laugh, the one where you snort and gasp for air, but it was a happy laugh.

“I’ve been riding since I was five. Dad finally got me my own horse and Yennefer has agreed to train me.” Cirilla shrugged, almost shyly. As she did, Yennefer left the stall and went to the tack room. She returned a moment later, with a saddle resting on one forearm and a bridle in her free hand.

“I can show you the pasture, if you want.” Geralt suggested, which let Cirilla to hop in his direction.

“Yes, please!”

“I’ll meet you both in the paddock, then!” Yennefer called after them and Geralt gave a wave of his hand to let her know it worked for them.

Half an hour later, Geralt and Cirilla both stood leaning against the fencing of the paddock. They chatted, about horses and what Cirilla liked about the stables.

Yennefer came from the stables with a horse a second later. She had put on a helmet and the horse matched her outfit perfectly. She entered the paddock before she sat up. She made a trot halt and greeted them, as she would’ve in a competition. 

“They say things about you.” Geralt took his eyes off Yennefer just a second, to have a look at Cirilla. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and she leaned closer as she watched Yennefer.

“They do?” Geralt turned back to watch Yennefer make a walk pirouette. Her brows were furrowed in concentration.

Yennefer changed when she was on the horseback. She moved differently, concentrated. Her back was always straight, but even that seemed to improve. It was her and the horse, as one, when she sat up. 

“Yes. They say there’s nothing you can’t do, with a horse.”

Geralt didn’t take his eyes off Yennefer this time. Yennefer trotted by and she had a look at them. Geralt’s heart skipped a beat and he lost his breath, if only for a second. She was just  _ that  _ beautiful. 

“That’s not true.” Geralt replied, as soon as Yennefer had passed. 

They stayed quiet, then. Yennefer made a graceful circle, a half pass and then another pirouette. She stopped not far from them and got off. She gently held the reins in one hand, as she walked closer to them.

“Well?” Yennefer turned to Cirilla, who balanced on her tiptoes and used her elbows and the fence to keep her balance. She carefully moved back and forth. “Did he pass your test?”

Geralt turned his whole body to Yennefer and was about to speak, when Cirilla did.

“He did”, Cirilla stopped swaying. “Question is if he’ll pass dads. Much more difficult to please.”

Geralt had another look at Cirilla. She was younger than himself and Yennefer, Geralt would guess about eighteen or nineteen, but she seemed to be just as intelligent as Yennefer.

“What test?” he asked, when the two women remained silent. Cirilla leaned over the fence and petted the horse and Yennefer let go of the reins, as she walked a little closer to Geralt. She took his hand, even though the fence separated them.

“If you’re allowed to train her horse.” Yennefer replied. She had her eyes on Cirilla, who climbed the fence and jumped down on the other side. Diamond took a step back, but stayed close to them.

“Okay?” Geralt watched Cirilla. She petted the horse and took the reins in one hand, as if to make sure the horse wasn’t going anywhere. Geralt knew for sure Diamond would stay, Vesemir had trained him and Vesemir knew what he was doing.

“You passed”, Yennefer said as if Geralt hadn’t heard Ciri’s answer. “We’ll train her together. I teach her dressage, you teach her horse. What do you think?”

Cirilla sat up. The stirrups were a little high for her legs and Yennefer let go of Geralt to help adjust them. Geralt watched silently, as Cirilla got comfortable in the saddle and held the reins.

“Yennefer has told me you have your own stables and a spare room.” Cirilla looked straight at him. He nodded, slowly, as if to confirm what Yennefer had said. There was a stable. It was nothing like Vesemir’s, though. There was only one room for fodder and tack (Vesemir had two, one for each) and only four stalls. The only horse there, when he stayed at home, was Roach and, sometimes, Pegasus, Jaskier’s gelding. The tack and fodder room was storage and one of the stalls that he didn’t use was the “fodder room”. All the tack was placed right outside the stalls. The paint was dirty and it had needed a clean pretty much since Geralt moved in.

“It’s almost full.” Geralt said lamely. Yennefer rolled her eyes on the other side of Diamond and Cirilla’s face lit up in another smile. Even her back straightened a little.

“Good thing I only have one horse, then!”


End file.
